


The Horror Movie Marathon

by paladinpeterparker



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 17:24:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16268906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paladinpeterparker/pseuds/paladinpeterparker
Summary: In which Cyrus ends up inviting TJ to the GHC (and Jonah)'s annual Halloween get-together.





	The Horror Movie Marathon

Usually, Cyrus loved Halloween. He loved dressing up and getting free candy and cute, glowing jack-o-lanterns. What Cyrus _didn’t_ like was the scary part of Halloween. The after-dark spooks that jumped out at him from behind buildings and in bushes. The horror movies that he bailed out of after the first minute. He didn’t like that part.  
And that’s why he didn’t love this Halloween.  
The usual Halloween get-together at the Mack house had turned into a horror movie marathon. Jonah and Buffy had decided that, since it was their first year of high school, they were all going to “grow up” and watch horror movies. Andi and Cyrus were not so keen on this plan but were dragged along by the promise of milkshakes and baby taters picked up from The Spoon by Bex. And, of course, Cyrus’s final condition for a horror movie marathon: TJ.  
Honestly, Cyrus had thought it was going to be much more difficult to get TJ invited to the Halloween party. Instead, it went something like this:  
  
“Andi, Buffy,” Cyrus said, leaning on the table at their booth in The Spoon. “I would like to invite TJ to the Halloween party.”  
Buffy, of course, frowned. “Why?”  
Cyrus sighed. “Because, Buffy. He’s my friend.”  
Buffy raised an eyebrow. “Just your friend?”  
Andi elbowed Buffy in the side, and the two exchanged a look. “Of course you can invite TJ, Cyrus,” Andi said, smiling.  
  
So, now, Cyrus was anxiously sitting in the living room, waiting for TJ to arrive. He didn’t know why he was anxious -- after all, it was just TJ. It’s not like Cyrus had a crush on him or anything.  
“Cyrus,” Buffy said, looking over at him from the other side of the couch. “What’s up? You look nervous.”  
Andi shifted on the couch next to Buffy, turning to look at Cyrus. Jonah did the same.  
“Are you nervous about watching the horror movies?” Andi asked, frowning. “I’ll admit, I’m not too excited about them, either.” She shot Buffy a look, but Buffy just grinned.  
“The horror movies won’t even be that bad, honestly.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “And, besides, I doubt that’s why Cyrus is nervous.”  
“I’m not nervous,” Cyrus said. “Not about anything. Not at all. Besides, if I was nervous, what would I even be nervous about?”  
Buffy gave Cyrus a devilish smile. “I bet you’re nervous about--”  
She was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. Cyrus’s head whipped around to look at the door. “Who’s gonna get that?” Cyrus asked.  
Andi stood up. “I’ll get it. I bet it’s just some trick-or-treaters.”  
She crossed the living room and walked to the front door. Cyrus watched as the opened the door and grinned at the person outside. “TJ! Come in!”  
At the mention of TJ’s name, Cyrus’s heart did a little flip. He ignored it. He was not going to make a fool out of himself. Not today.  
TJ came into the living room, Andi walking behind him. He looked at the group, giving them a half smile. “Buffy, Jonah. Hi.”  
Then, he looked at Cyrus, and his face broke into a grin. “Underdog. Hey!”  
The group all waved to TJ, Cyrus more than the others. He gave an enthusiastic, “TJ!” However, his nerves made the enthusiastic comment more of a squeak, and he immediately cringed at himself.  
TJ walked over to the couch and gestured to the empty seat next to Cyrus. “Mind if I sit?”  
Cyrus shook his head. “Not at all.”  
Andi rejoined the group on the couch, and they all turned to look at the television.  
“Well,” Buffy said. “It’s time to start our horror movie marathon.” She clapped her hands together and grinned manically at the group. “Where should we start?”

\--

By the time they began the second movie, Cyrus knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep for weeks. Outside, it had begun to rain, which only made the whole experience creepier. They had turned off the lights in the living room in order to see the television better, and now Cyrus couldn’t tell if the dark shapes in the corner were furniture, or if they were crawling demons waiting to come to kill him.  
He shifted in his seat and realized that he had been leaning against TJ. Not just slightly leaning against him, but full-on, TJ-should-have-noticed-this-by-now leaning. Cyrus quickly sat up, then focused on the movie playing on the television. He would _not_ look over at TJ. He would just watch the movie.  
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw TJ looking at him. Now, he figured that TJ had known Cyrus was leaning against him. He was probably too polite to have said anything to Cyrus.  
Cyrus was freaking out.  
In his head, Cyrus was chanting _Don’t make eye contact. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t make--_  
He glanced over at TJ, and their eyes met.  
Cyrus turned back to the television so quickly he thought he would snap his neck, and he saw TJ do the same.  
This was bound to be a long night.  
Outside, a bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the room for a brief second. Cyrus saw Andi jump in her seat. “I think the power’s going to go out,” she remarked.  
Buffy looked over at Andi and made a face. “It’s not going to go out. You’re just trying to get out of watching this movie.”  
“I’m with Andi,” Cyrus said. “I think we should turn off the movie and go find some flashlights, y’know, just in case the power does go out.”  
Buffy turned and glared at Cyrus. “Now I _know_ that you’re just trying to get out of the movie.”  
Cyrus shrugged. “Can you really blame me?”  
Buffy rolled her eyes and turned back to the television. “Whatever. The power isn’t going to go out.”  
Just then, a clap of thunder shook the house, and the television turned off. Cyrus turned around and saw that the lights in the kitchen had gone out.  
“Buffy,” TJ said, grinning at Buffy. “What were you just saying?”  
Everyone laughed except Buffy, who just scoffed.  
The room around them was even darker than it had been before. If any demon was going to try to kill them, now would be its chance. Cyrus pulled his feet up onto the couch, not wanting to get dragged across the floor by some paranormal being.  
“We should go try to find some flashlights. We don’t know how long the power will be out for,” Andi said.  
“Okay,” Buffy said, standing up. “Where are the flashlights?”  
Andi paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, we have some in a box upstairs. We also have a few big flashlights down in the basement.”  
“Wait,” Jonah interjected. “You have a basement?”  
Andi made a face. “Yeah. Didn’t you know that?”  
Jonah shook his head, then realized Andi probably couldn’t see it. “Nope.”  
“Well, then,” Buffy spoke up. “I think Cyrus should go down to the basement and get the flashlights. The rest of us can look around up here for flashlights.”  
“What?” Cyrus asked. “Why me?”  
Buffy shrugged. “You were the first person that came to mind.”  
“That’s not fair!” Cyrus said indignantly. “I don’t want to get killed in Andi’s basement. I’m not going down there!”  
“I’ll go with you, Cyrus,” TJ said from beside him.  
Cyrus paused, contemplating, then spoke, “Alright. I’ll go.”  
Buffy clasped her hands together. “Perfect! Now, Andi, you should probably tell them where the basement is so they don’t get lost.”  
Cyrus tried to focus as Andi gave him the directions to get down to the basement, but he was torn between not wanting to be murdered in the basement and being happy that TJ volunteered to go with him.  
Apparently, as Cyrus was thinking, Andi had finished talking. Now, Buffy was shooing them off the couch, and they were headed to the basement. TJ was muttering Andi’s directions out loud as they walked, which Cyrus couldn’t help but find adorable.  
“Okay, we turn left here, and there should be a door leading down to the basement.” TJ reached out and felt for a door. “I think there’s a door here.” He fumbled for the doorknob, and Cyrus heard the door swing open with a creak.  
“There’s a staircase leading down to the basement,” TJ said, stepping forward. “Don’t fall down the stairs, okay? I wouldn’t want to be alone in the basement.”  
“I’ll try my best,” Cyrus said, and, though he couldn’t see it, TJ smiled at him.  
They walked down into the basement, carefully making their way down the stairs. There were a few small windows lining the top of the basement’s walls, letting in a faint light from outside. Cyrus stayed behind TJ as they stepped down onto the concrete floor, thinking that TJ could probably fight off a poltergeist better than he could. “Alright,” TJ said, “let’s find the flashlights and get out of here.”  
They walked into the middle of the room. Cyrus squinted at the cluttered shelves in front of him, looking for the yellow flashlights that Andi described. TJ searched the shelves next to him.  
TJ crouched down slightly to look at one of the bottom shelves, and let out a triumphant “ah-ha!”  
“Did you find them?” Cyrus asked, looking down at the shelf.  
“I think so,” TJ said.  
Just as TJ reached out to grab one of the flashlights, the door to the basement slammed shut. Cyrus jumped backward, knocking into the shelf behind him.  
“What was that?” Cyrus asked, only slightly terrified.  
TJ let out a chuckle. “It was just the door, Cyrus. It was nothing to be scared of.”  
“Sorry,” Cyrus muttered. “I guess those movies made me a little skittish.”  
“Do you need to hold my hand?” TJ asked, teasing Cyrus slightly.  
Before he realized it was a joke, Cyrus blurted out, “ _Yes!_ ”  
The two boys fell quiet, and Cyrus felt himself turning red, which, luckily, TJ couldn’t see. Cyrus knew he had just messed up big time. There was no coming back from this. TJ was probably weirded out now, and would probably never talk to Cyrus again.  
Then, Cyrus felt a hand slip into his. Not realizing it was TJ, Cyrus jumped, let out a scream, and jerked his hand away.  
TJ just laughed. “Cyrus, calm down. It’s not a demon, I promise.”  
Cyrus let out a small laugh. “Oh. Right.”  
In the dim light coming in from the basement window, Cyrus saw TJ hold out his hand. “Let’s try that again,” TJ said.  
Slowly, Cyrus reached out and placed his hand in TJ’s. He felt the other boy shift his hand slightly, then laced their fingers together.  
Cyrus almost passed out.  
“Since it seems like we’ve got some time to spare,” TJ said, “There’s something I need to tell you.”  
Cyrus felt his heart speed up. “What?”  
Just as TJ opened his mouth to talk, the door to the basement swung open with a bang. Cyrus screamed again and practically dove behind TJ for cover. A flashlight beam cut across the basement floor, and footsteps began to descend down the dark staircase.  
Buffy wasn’t exactly surprised when she entered the basement and saw TJ and Cyrus standing together. In fact, she almost laughed when she saw Cyrus cowered behind TJ and TJ with a smile on his face and his hand still holding Cyrus’s hand.  
“TJ, Cyrus, stop fooling around and get the flashlights. Hurry up. We’ve been waiting for you.” Neither of them could see the knowing smile on Buffy’s face as she spoke.  
“Sorry,” TJ said. “We just got a little scared.”  
“Right,” Buffy said. “Just...get the flashlights and come upstairs.”  
She turned around and walked back out of the basement. The moment she was gone, TJ turned to face Cyrus and let go of his hand. “I guess we need to get the flashlights now.”  
Cyrus held up a hand. “Wait, TJ. What were you going to say before?”  
TJ paused and looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I was going to say, uh…” he trailed off, glancing over at Cyrus. “Happy Halloween!”  
TJ quickly moved past Cyrus, grabbing the flashlights off the shelf. Cyrus, meanwhile, was giving TJ an incredulous look. “ _That’s_ what you were going to tell me? Really?”  
TJ made a face. “Yes?”  
Cyrus frowned. “I don’t believe you.”  
“You don’t?” TJ asked. “I thought I was pretty convincing.”  
Cyrus rolled his eyes. “You weren’t.”  
The two of them stood there, looking at each other in silence. Before he had the chance to stop himself, Cyrus moved forward and kissed TJ.  
In the brief second that their first kiss happened, the power flickered back on. Cyrus could hear the faint sound of his friends cheering upstairs, and as he pulled away from TJ, he started to laugh.  
“Guess we didn’t need the flashlights,” he said.  
TJ looked down at the flashlights in his hands, then laughed. “Guess we didn’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this bit of ~spoopy~ Tyrus fluff! If you enjoyed this (or, even if you didn't), go check out my Tumblr @paladinpeterparker. Hope everyone has a spooky Halloween! [Also, sorry for the funky italics -- apparently the emphasis function is glitching for this work].


End file.
